My Dead Sister
by heroesofolympus12
Summary: Rukia has been running since she was a child and finally she pushed her owners over the edge. When Gin whips Hisana to death, Retsu believes that it's time for Rukia to move plantations. At her new home she encounters a strange new kind of life. She meets a preppy room mate who reins like a mother, a nosy orange-haired boy, and racist former plantation owner.


I panted as quietly as I could, hoping not to get caught. The movement below got my attention. Looking down, I saw him peering closely in my direction, light still in front of him. Mr. Sosuke smiled. When he flashed the light on me, I started and lost my balance. I fell four feet and landed on my back. He walked towards me.

"You must realize by now that running away hasn't done anybody any good." he said looking down at me. "Especially you." he added. I struggled to breathe and it was only made worse when he kicked my stomach. "Get up, you're not doing any good just layin' there." he grunted.

I rolled over clutching my abdomen and slowly got up. We walked back in silence. He was behind me to make sure I don't try to escape. He started talking about my punishment to no one in particular

"I know," Sosuke said with note finality. "I think you're a little to use to getting whipped. I have a new punishment for you." I stayed silent and kept walking. Maybe I could steal his gun and knock him out, I thought. We walked out of the woods and into the cotton fields. Too late for that, I sighed.

A word about Sosuke, he isn't exactly the smartest person but he's smarter than most, which is saying something about everyone else. He was a cruel man with cruel black eyes. His course black hair was cut short and he had a face that reminded me of how I thought a demon would look. Evil, but charming. Sosuke was all evil and not the least bit charming.

The slave huts were to our left, lights off and everyone asleep. He led me to an area near the front part of the Big House. Mansion more like it. It was three stories high and completely white. All sides of it looked like it could be the front with eight foot high doorways; tall sweeping windows on either side of the doors, and porches looked like the floor of a decent sized bed room. The furniture looked as though it was for the inside and not out. We turned the corner of the house and looked out at the emptiness. I turned to look at the actual front. It was much grander than the other sides. There were five steps leading to a porch. The twelve foot high arched door way took up most of the entrance and grasped most people's attention. Two pillars stretched three feet higher on each side to support the second story balcony. The pillars themselves were made of white marbles, along with the rest of the entrance area.

I looked back over to where he was leading and realized there was a small rectangular metal box sitting all by itself in the middle of the yard waiting to be used. He brandished his gun at me.

"I save this for special cases, such as you." He said indicating the box. "Strip," Pointing his gun at me he watched as I removed my clothes. I glared as he stared pointedly at my chest. It was hard to see 'because he'd turned his light off, but it was annoying all the same. "In." he commanded, pointing his gun at the box. Squatting down with my back to him I unlatched the lock and stepped in. It only now occurred to me that this area was hit by light all day.

Smirking down at me he closed the lid. I heard the grass crutch as he left.

The lid was suddenly yanked open and I gasped for air. The man pulled me out roughly, tossing ice water onto my searing skin. It felt like poison burning through my skin. He dragged me, coughing and gasping, through the field to an empty hut.

"Get dressed and get to work." Gin said. I struggled to get up and dressed.

I trudged and stumbled outside to the fields. The looks I got as walked were those of hatred, jealousy, and pity. I could accept people hating me; I could accept people being jealous—although I don't have the faintest clue _why_ they'd jealous—but I could not accept people taking pity on me. It was like saying I was weak. Which I wasn't, I could take a man twice my height and weight, and come out clean.

I reached my sister and she refused to look at me. It was a typical response to my actions. She took pity on my soul. She was the only person who could pity me and not make me mad. It wasn't like she thought me weak, she thought what I did was fine she just didn't like that always come back a little worse for wear.

"Why can't you be a good slave and work?" she asked. I looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"You _want_ to work like this for the rest of your life?" I asked bewildered.

"No, I don't, but what else is there for me? If I run, I'm going to get caught. I'm not as quick as you or as smart as you. If I actually _do_ escape, I'll be on the run for the rest of my life. Is that what you want, Rukia?" she asked as she halfheartedly plucked the cotton. "To be on the run for your entire life?" I kept quiet and glared down at the dirt. Getting her upset always put me in a foul mood. I continued to work on auto pilot ignoring the stinging on my body; my wandered far, far away from here.

Sana was the nicest person you could have ever hoped to meet. She had a bad habit of praising other people and down playing herself. She also had a habit of bluntly displaying the truth but making it seem less hurtful by the way she presented it. I worked until my feet were soar, my hands blistered, and my neck was more sun burned than before. As I walked out of the field, Carson pulled me aside laughing. I winced.

"What," I said. "I haven't done anything." he laughed and tugged me along, gripping my arm harder than necessary. We walked out to the back of the house were a huge tree used for whipping stood. He ripped the back of my dress: the beginning of the flogging ritual.

"Being left in there was only the first parts of your punishment." He said pulling my arms forward and tied them so that they were in front of giving the impression I was hugging the tree.

"Come 'round!" Sosuke called out to the others, walking toward me with flagrum in hand. It was the worst whip he had in his collection. It had a leather bound grip, like most. Four or five leather strips spouted from the grip. On the end of each were pieces of metal, glass and other miscellaneous sharp items.

"You're all gonna have dinner and a show. A rare treat for your kind." Gin said enthusiastically. A few had watched curiously when I'd gotten carted off. They went back to tell the news. It was, sad to say, nothing new. I got whipped so much people didn't feel sorry for me anymore. I heard everyone file out and heard muffled sobbing. Without turning, I knew it was Sana crying. It was rare for her to cry. In front of people that is. She reserved her crying for when she was alone and thought now one was watching or listening. When everyone assembled, Sosuke walked forward.

"I'm gonna enjoy this." he said excitedly. He raised his arm high and brought the flagrum down. It was like someone had gun that only shot metal pieces. That was how it felt to get flogged with a flagrum. He brought it down over and over, again and again like lightning. I could feel the blood pouring out where my skin had been cut open. The only sound aside from leather on skin was the continuous sob emitting from my sister. He stopped and swatted down.

"Why, don't you scream?" he inquired. "It hurts doesn't it?" I glared at him. Normally I'd let him think he got to me by making sounds, but today I had something to prove: two punishments won't weaken me. I lifted my head off the tree.

"I would never, in my life," I spat, "scream for the likes of you." he reared, nearly falling over, and slapped me. I spat blood.

"Maybe not for me," he said getting up, walking toward the crowd. "but maybe for her." I turned my head as he pulled Sana forward.

"Leave her alone." I said, panicking about the foreseeable outcome. He smirked at my reaction. I tried to get free but my back was in so much pain I could barely stand.

"Let her go, she had nothing to do with this!" I yelled. Sosuke tied her to a tree to my left. She was crying and apologizing for her mistake.

"Let her go," I yelled my voice cracking. "LET HER GO!" The flagrum came down with menacing force.

"AHHHHHH!" Sana called out in pain.

"HISANA," I screamed. The flagrum came down again with another piercing scream. I cried and screamed trying to get free while he wailed on my sister. My back seared with pain but I didn't stop. With her screams, mine came as well. She fell to the ground and started moving less and less until she stopped moving altogether. Still they pounded her until all the flesh on her back was torn. Carson cut her loose and she fell lifelessly to the ground. Sosuke cut my ropes laughing as though he'd never seen anything so hilarious, and I ran to Sana's side.

"Hisana," I said shaking her gently. "Hisana," I said a little louder. Kiyone came over and sat down beside me. She was the only other person on the plantation who didn't think I was completely crazy. She, like so many others, she respected Sana greatly. She was six years younger than us and like another sister. Her mom had been moved from the plantation to another when she was five. Sana helped raise her.

We cried together for who knows how long. She eventually got up said a shaky goodnight and left. I stayed nearly until sunrise. Keigo had come a little past one and tried to get me to come back with him. I slapped his hand away and yelled at him. "Leave me alone!" he backed away. I went to sleep clutching Sana's body.

"..Na" someone said. "Luna," I lifted my head and looked around. "Luna," I looked down and saw Hisana looking up at me through half lidded eyes.

"Sana," I gasped.

"Luna, I'm sorry I couldn't be more useful." I looked at her, bewildered. She had been one hundred times more useful then I had been. All I did was cause trouble and she fixed any problems I'd ever made. "I wish I'd been able to help you leave. It's all you ever wanted." She drew a shaky breath. But then she didn't exhale. My vision grew blurry as tears filled my eyes.

"You were right about so many things," I said my voice thick with tears. "but you were wrong about that. All I ever wanted was to get _both_ of us out of here."

"I love you Luna." She said, exhaling at last. More still then she had been all night, she spoke nothing more.

"I love you too." I whispered.

I let loose a scream contorted with remorse and despair, as loud as I was able.

I'd carried Sana's body to the woods, past the plantation boundaries. She'd finally been able to leave this place. Getting past the guards had been easier than ever. All I had to do was look at them. They knew, deep down, that I wouldn't think twice about hurting them. I laid her down in a clearing that got lots of sun light. Her blood stained dress looked ghostly in the early morning light. Vowing I'd come back with clean clothes, I turned on heel and went back.

I emerged from the woods, I went to the slave housing and opened the door. Everyone was already up, getting ready for another days work. It was hard to tell from looking at them but anyone with a decent I.Q. would know that they were sullen, that last night's events had rattled them even more. When anyone got whipped, only one person got whipped. The older slavers said that it had always been that way. To whip someone who hadn't done anything was a huge dishonor. Kiyone pulled me aside.

"Let's go wash your back, Rukia." She suggested.

"I have to work." I replied.

"You can't work if it gets infected and you've got sun burn everywhere." She pointed out. I sighed and let her steer me towards the bathroom. I peeled out of my blood soaked clothes while Kiyone started the water. She left to find a towel and wash cloth. She gasped when she turned and saw my back. I stepped into the tub.

"This is Retsuble," she said quietly. "This is worse than last time."

"He was bound to that one eventually." I said equally quiet.

"But you haven't done anything abnormal." She said rinsing off my back. "Just the same thing you always do."

"Maybe he thought he could beat it out of me." I said as she started scrubbing.

"Beat _what_ out you though?"

"My rebellious streak I guess."

"But he hasn't broken it at all, has he?" she asked scrubbing furiously.

"No, not in the—" I winced as she added soap to the mix. "—least. I want to get away more than ever now."

"He'll move you."

"Eh, how do you know?"

"Women's intuition."

"You're ten. Not even close to a woman."

"Wait three more years. I'll be more of a woman than you."

"You're more of a woman than me now." I said as she brushed my hair to get the caked on blood off. "I don't even act my gender."

"That may be true but, there are some things you do with grace." I snorted.

"Like what?" she dumped water on me one last time and pulled the plug.

"Like when you're yelling at some one. There's another reason why they look so scared." I smirked.

"It's their own faults for picking a fight they can't win."

"And, when you're practicing."

"I don't know how I or anyone for that matter can look graceful while fighting." I towel dried while Kiyone pat dried my back. I dressed my lower body. She put something cold and soothing on my back.

"I dunno." She said after a moment. "But somehow you make it look that way." then after a moment of silence she said, "Sana thought you looked graceful." She said so quiet it was barely a whisper. I kept quiet.

"Lift your arms." She said. Lifting my arms ignoring the burning on my skin, I watched as she wrapped around my entire upper body. "There," she said, slightly breathless. "that should hold for a day or two." I shoved my shirt on and got up.

"Are you sure you're fit to work?" Kiyone asked timidly.

"Have I ever sat around after getting whipped?"

"No, but, he use _that_ one. I thought that maybe you could rest… for… today." She finished feebly.

"It's _because_ he used _that_ one, that I have to work. I can't give him the satisfaction of letting him see me not working. I won't let him think I'm weak."

"Sorry," she mumbled and hastily left. I sighed and followed after her. Walking out onto the field, I saw a few of the elders walking towards the front of the Big House. Curious, I followed them. I could get my work load done later. They knocked timidly on the door. When it was pulled open, one of the house slaves gasped.

"You're not supposed to be here." She whispered hurriedly.

"Who is it?" Sosuke's voice rang out. I clinched my fist. How can he sound so care free after what he did? I asked myself.

"Get away from the door, Sosuke." Mrs. Retsu said, 1 who was the true owner of the plantation. She made an appearance only when she thought it was necessary. Retsu lets the men do the hard work while she does the talking. If anything she scared everyone more than Sosuke.

"I've told you a thousand times not to go to the door. Must we review what happened last time?" she asked politely. Her tone of voice sent a shiver down my spine.

"No ma'am." He replied cautiously.

"I thought so. Who's at the door?"

"The workers, ma'am?" the girl said.

"What is it they want?" the girl looked at them.

"We want to talk about Sana's death." The eldest of them said.

"They want to talk about the death of one of the workers."

"The death…" she trailed off. I knew she turned to Sosuke by the way her voice sounded. It sounded farther off. "You didn't tell me that there had been a death." Retsu said, a little too politely.

"W-well, I-I was going to. When I found the righ-" there was a noise, like something was moved quickly for a short distance. Guess he tripped. "-t time." He finished timidly.

"Come back when you're finished working. I have some business to take care of."

"Yes ma'am." They said and turned as the door was pushed shut.

"What were guys thinking?" I asked as they rounded the corner. They jumped in surprise.

"We wanted permission to have a proper burial." The youngest said recovering his wit.

"Sosuke is gonna make your lives a living hell." I replied.

"Yes, but it would be worth it. Besides, how were we to know he didn't tell her?"

"True, but still, you could have waited." They were now looking cautiously like I might explode any moment.

"What?"

"Nothing," they mumbled and moved towards the center of the field.

"Whatever," I muttered walking towards Kiyone. I noticed she had two bags instead of one.

"Kiyone," I called. "What are you doing?" I asked, perplexed.

"Oh, hey. I, uh, was just, um, trying to help." She finished faintly. She handed me the second bag. "I noticed that you that you followed them. So I didn't want you to get too far behind, so I decided to help you so you won't have to work over time." She'd rushed through it like I was going to stop her. "Sorry," I lifted my hand and set it on top of her head.

"It's cool. Thanks for the help." I took my bag and got to work. She stood there, shocked.

"You're not mad?"

"No, I guess I would be if I weren't so exhausted." I said. "It doesn't matter." We both got back to work. Around one we took a break for lunch. The workers inside brought lunch out. Skipping over the elders they handed out food to everyone else, excluding me, of course. They apologized profusely as they left. I waved them off, used to not getting lunch. The elders on the other hand would definitely need lunch to keep going on today. Most of them pooled around and gave the elders some of their food. I leaned against the tree taking a head count. Thirty… thirty one… thirty two… thirty three… thirty four. There used to be more if us, at least fifty when my mom was young and at least a hundred more before she was born. But then all of them got old and died… except Sana. I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down. It was Yui, the only person who thought I was the coolest person ever, while thinking I was crazy at the same time. Why she thought that I didn't know. I stooped down. "What's up?"

"Will you do some tricks?" she asked. "It might cheer everyone up. For a while any way." Seven years old and already this smart and caring.

"Sure," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. She ran back to tell everyone. Walking over I saw them getting into the position to watch. I stretched my arms, rolled my ankles shoulders and wrists. When I got center stage I bent over stretching my legs. I patted myself down. Nope I haven't any shorts. Oh well. I kicked my shoes off and set them aside. Tying up my shirt at my navel I sprang into action.

First I did a few front flips and cart wheels to warm up. Then, because I'm so nice I ran up a tree and did a back flip landing on my hands. I walked forward bent my elbows and jumped back onto my feet. I did a round off into the splits. There was clapping and a few whistles. I pulled my leg in front of me. Getting up, I noticed some one watching from inside.

"Will you teach me to run up a tree?" Kiyone asked on a whiny voice.

"I've been trying to teach you since you were three but it never seems to sink in." I replied.

"Telling me to 'Run at the tree then lift the leg closest to the tree higher.' is not teaching."

"Apparently our definitions of teaching are different."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Retsu said. Kiyone jumped slightly at her voice. "but I have to borrow Ms. Luna for a moment." She said perfectly polite. I nearly glared at her for using my first name, but then common sense kicked in. "Come along then." She said leading me towards the Big House.

"Did I do something wrong ma'am." Aside from the various times I ran for it.

"No, no, not recently any way." She said breezily. "I have to ask you a few questions." She looked distastefully at my clothes. "Do you mind putting your shirt down? Please." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. Pulling my shirt down, I followed her at a further distance.

I'd only been in here once and during that time I'd gotten in as much trouble as humanly possible for a slave. I try not to think about it.

The inside was grander than the outside. The ceiling was three feet higher than the door. The chandelier was at least five and a half feet in diameter. On either side of us were stairs cases that lead to the second story. To the left was an arched door way that leads into a drawing room. It had flowerily wall paper all around the room. The floor, like everywhere else on the ground floor, was wood. It was the size of two bedrooms put together. In the middle of the wall directly in front of the entry way, was a huge window that opened outward. There was table in front of it, and a painting aisle. We went up the stairs to the right. I caught a glimpse of the dining room as I was swept up the stairs. All I really saw was a long mahogany table with a black lace table cloth.

"This way please." She said briskly. She opened a door on the right, and one look told me it was Sosuke's room. It was extremely dirty. There were clothes strewn all over the floor and the smell of the room was completely rancid. Like old food and dirty clothes. Retsu sighed, and then turned to me.

"Do you mind waiting outside the door for a moment? Please."

"Yes ma'am." I stepped outside and closed the door gently behind me. I rocked on my feet, waiting. One of the house workers passed me looking worried. I shrugged in response. The door opened ten minutes later. Looking self-satisfied she motioned me to follow her further down the hall. I started fidgeting. Being in or even _near_ the Big House made me nervous.

"Sit down please." She said kindly. I sat with caution. The chairs were nice and my clothes were dirt stained.

"Let's get down to business. It was your sister Sosuke unkindly took away from you?" she asked. It was obvious she wanted to word it so it was less hurtful. That only made it worse.

"Yes ma'am." I answered.

"Was the, um, attack provoked?"

"No ma'am."

"Would do you mind telling me what happened?" again, not a request. I took a deep breath and launched into the story of what happened, starting from when he caught me in the forest to when I carried her out into the forest.

"You came back?" she asked. I could tell she was feigning surprise. I nodded.

"I didn't want anyone else to suffer from any mistakes I make."

"And no one else will suffer from your mistakes as long as I have anything to say about it." I nodded again. "You may leave. Come after you're done with your work, if you please." I got up and left the room. I went back the way I came and realized how late it was. The sun was lower in the sky. I rushed out and thought about what she had said. _"You came back?" _she sounded like she expected me to. It was certainly unnerving. I ran up to Kiyone.

"Hey, what goes on?" I asked. She jumped.

"Rukia!" she yelped. "How did it go? You're not in trouble are you?"

"Not that I know of." I answered, taking my bag and getting to work. "She wants me to come back after I'm done."

"You don't think it's anything bad, do you?" she asked cautiously.

"No. She seemed pretty calm. You're probably right about me moving." I sighed. "I'd rather stay here and get tortured than leave you by yourself." Kiyone smiled.

"Thanks, but I'll be okay I still have everyone. Maybe you'll be able to meet my mom." I kept quiet and worked. We both worked past sunset and my feet were sore by dinner. I was tapped on the shoulder. I nearly flipped them over when I remembered it could be Retsu. I turned around and saw the second worst thing: the head house slave.

"Ms. Retsu wants says that you and everyone here can leave to burry your sister. Anyone who doesn't come back will face the consequences." With that she left to the Big House. "Oh, and don't eat dinner and come to the Big House when you're done." She called over her shoulder. When she disappeared behind the house everyone came up to me. What'd she say? They asked.

"We can leave the grounds to give Sana a proper burial." I replied slightly numb. Why was she being so nice? I thought. What's she up to? When everyone was finished eating, we walked, with me in the lead. We walked until we reached the clearing where I had laid her earlier that day. I kneeled down and unlaced the front of her dress. I cleaned her as best I could without showing too much skin, for the men were leering at her body. I got up and extended my hand to take a shovel. He handed it over willing. Kiyone and Keigo grabbed shovels as well. Bearing the pain of my back, we dug for thirty minutes until the hole was deep enough. There was rustling and when I turned and I nearly fell over with shock. Four men were carrying a gleaming white coffin.

"Is that for….?" I trailed off watching them set it down neatly beside the hole. They looked royally pissed at having to carry it all the way out here just for us. I didn't know what else to do, so I did the only rational thing I could think of: I opened the coffin, lifted Sana's body and put her in. I looked over and saw Keigo at the other end. Gingerly we lowered the coffin down and together buried it. I wiped my hand on my pants slowly. I sighed. I had dealt with too much in one day. After a moment of silence the crowd started to dissipate a few at a time. There was some much any of us could've said but none of us knew how to fashion the words. I was the first to leave, rushed out by the men. Apparently they knew I was to be at Retsu's dinner. They hustled me through the wood and to the front door. They knocked timidly and the door immediately swung open.

"Nice to see you again, Ms. Luna." Retsu said. She herded us inside snapping her fingers at one of the slaves. The woman grabbed my hands and tugged me up the stairs to the right.

"This way. Hurry." She ushered me upstairs. Pushing me into the bathroom. She stripped me quickly and pushed me into the shower. Before I could protest she washed me clean of any dirt. She washed my hair furiously and rinsed me off. It seemed to happen within a few seconds. When I looked at the clock I realized that it had been at least thirty minutes. She quickly dried me off and gave me clothes and gauze.

"Put these on, I'm giving you five minutes." She said closing the door. I quickly shoved the clothes on. I'd let her fix the small stuff. I realized what I was wearing when she pulled me and my head whipped towards the mirror. I had only a second to scrutinize myself. It was black, like most things I wore but this was completely different. It was sleeveless with a "V" shaped neckline and it hugged my mid-section semi-tight. There were two layers on the shirt part. The bottom layer was black silk and the outer layer was lacy with no particular design. The skirt was much of the same except it had several more layers so it poofed out slightly. The maid handed me some shoes.

"Put these on and go downstairs as soon as you're done." I nodded and started walking towards the stairs hopping on one foot trying to get the heels on. They were wedges and a pain to get on. I took a few steps and nearly fell over. I wobbled downstairs and into the dining room. Retsu herded me over to the opposite of the table; closer to the other head of the table.

"Sit up straight and mind your manners." She said briskly. "We're having an important guest today. Make yourself look pretty, please." Sitting up straight was the least of my worries. I sat there silently thinking about who this could be.

I watched Retsu pace back and forth in front of the arched doorway. It had to be a really important or she wouldn't be acting this way. After what seemed like an hour of memorizing the dining room, the doorbell finally rang. Retsu walked quickly to the door. I heard her take a deep breath then the door opened.

"Hello," a deep friendly voice said. "Thank you for inviting me over." He said.

"No, no it was my pleasure. Thank _you_ for doing business with me." She said enthusiastically. He must be rich, I thought. When he and Retsu walked in I had to refrain from gasping. He was a white man, old too. He had long white hair and soft brown eyes. He smiled kindly when he saw me. He had laugh lines around his eyes.

"She must be the one you were speaking of. She looks like an interesting young lady." I must have looked shocked because he laughed. Extending his hand he introduced himself. "I'm Jushiro Ukitake, nice to meet you." I lifted my hand getting up so he wouldn't have to lean over so much.

"Luna Beauregard, sir. Everyone calls me Rukia." I paused then added, "Sir." I smiled and then sat down in front of me. Retsu debated for a moment and sat down at the end closest to Jushiro. There was heavy thudding from above us and Sosuke shuffled into the room. Retsu glared at him from across the room as he took his place at the other end of the table. As soon as he sat down the doors burst open and the kitchen help came forth with the food. Then they left as soon as they'd come. It was quiet as everyone ate. I didn't eat much. My stomach was churning with unease. I stared down at my plate the entire dinner. I was only vaguely aware that they were talking about my purchase.

"I would like to see what I'm buying. What type of slave is Ms. Rukia?" he asked curiously.

"A field slave." Retsu answered calmly.

"Ah, yes. I am in need of another field slave. Is there anything I should know about her? Personality, family?" Retsu hesitated. "Yes, her family was separated from her mom when she was three and she never knew her father. Her sister died in a work accident." I momentarily stopped breathing. Why had I thought she was going to say, the truth?

"Personality?" he implied.

"She is a lot to handle at once. She has run away countless times. We've tightened security but somehow she manages to slip through."

"I won't worry. I have ways of breaking spirits." He said in that same kind voice. "May I see her? She could do well as a house slave." He said as though he was looking at a horse that could not only work hard, but look good too.

"Stand up so he can have a good look at you." Pushing back from the table slowly, I got up and walked around to him. He scrutinized me as though looking for something. I kept my hands down at my sides, clenching and unclenching them.

"Definitely a house slave." He murmured. Like hell, I thought. "Definitely a house slave." Jushiro said louder. "I would like to take her today, if you don't mind that is."

"No, no of course not."

"You shall receive payment first thing tomorrow morning." He assured her. He checked his watch. "It's best if we leave now." He bowed respectfully and ushered me out. The help held the door open for us. "Thank you." We walked a few feet away from the steps when he told I had to get my stuff.

"I haven't got much." I said.

"It's fine." He leaned forward and whispered, "I'm giving you time to say good-bye." I nodded said thank you and wobbled of in the direction of the slaves houses. When I got to the door I kicked the shoes off and picked them up. I opened the door quietly and tip toed inside. I stumbled over things and finally ended up falling. I let out a string of expletives. There was a giggle off to my left then another in front of me. Soon the whole house was in giggles. Someone turn on the lights. I turned and saw it was Kiyone.

"You really need to sneak better." She said half laughing.

"I didn't think anybody would be up."

"What!" she said as though I was slow on the up take. "Of course we'd wait up for you. You're one of us no matter what anyone says behind your back." She said shooting a glare at one the elders. She gave me a once over "They really cleaned you up."

"You were right. I am being sold off." It got really quiet. "He sent me in here to get my stuff but he's giving me time to say good-bye." Kiyone tackled me with a hug.

"I'm not gonna miss you." She said and I realized she was crying.

"I'm not gonna miss you either." I gently pried her off me.

"C'mon I have to go." Keigo tossed me my bag. "Thanks," I waved and walked out.

"I love you, Luna!" Kiyone cried. I stopped and turned around. Keigo was holding Kiyone as she struggled to get free. Tears streamed down her face as she shouted for him to free her. She broke free from Keigo and ran towards me. Kiyone launched herself on me and we both went down.

"Don't leave me, you're all I have." She cried into my stomach. "I love you, so please don't leave. I need you Luna."

"Kiyone," I said softly all the while trying to keep my voice from cracking. "You're not alone. Everyone here cares about you. I love you Kiyone and I want to stay, but it's not my choice." I stood and pulled Kiyone to her feet as well. "I need you to be strong for me. I can't leave without knowing that my little sis will be as strong as I wish to be." I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Be good for me." I whispered. I turned and trotted to catch up with Jushiro. The entire way I heard her crying out to me.


End file.
